AJ's Story: The Midquel
by Pokemon Ranger-Trainer
Summary: Six months after their divorce, and Alvin and Brittany think they do not know what they want. They really want each other again, but they're being held back by internal conflicts. Brittany and AJ are distraught. Alvin can't get his family out of his mind.
1. The Bird

**Here it is! The midquel! I do not own Alvin and the Chipmunks. I can claim AJ and other OC's, excluding Jehven, Brittany's boyfriend after the divorce. I have nothing against Charlene. She just seemed like she would make a good antagonist. CGI, just like AJ's Story. I decided not to upload this until it was done, so if it seems like I've updated it inhumanly fast, you now know why. It's much shorter than I anticipated, but that might be because I started from the six month mark instead of the very beginning of the divorce. I just had more of something for that two month time frame. Summer vacation is finally here. I wrote this in a couple of days. That is just how much time I've had in the last few days. Anyways, please enjoy. It's probably nothing compared to AJ's Story, but I hope it is at least better than Bridgette's Story. **

**Chapter 1: The Bird**

AJ Seville was going through what he felt was the worst time of his life. He was nine years old, an elementary school chipmunk. Both of his parents were pop star legends, as were his aunts and uncles. What was so wrong? Well, about six months prior, his parents, Alvin and Brittany Seville, had gone through a horrible divorce. Divorce was never an easy thing for anyone, but it got worse than anyone thought it would. Alvin had been swept off his hind paws by a female chipmunk named Charlene—_in the middle of the divorce_ and _right in front of his son_. It did not stop getting worse. The day after his birthday, at a restaurant that AJ's mother and aunt performed at, Alvin showed up and gave his ex-wife a black eye. He even tried to cut her, but AJ took the hit. He was sick and tired of his parents fighting to the point of domestic violence! So he took the hit for his mother.

"AJ?" AJ heard his mother's voice call out to him. He had been sitting at the window, daydreaming. Well, it was more like he had a day-mare.

"Sorry, Mom. I was just…thinking…" AJ told his mother and touched the cheek that took the cut meant for his mother.

"Oh, baby," Brittany hugged her son. "I don't know what has gotten into him. He's not a bad chipmunk."

"Hard to believe," AJ muttered.

"You know, I try and think of examples that will convince you. There's always one off the top of my head about your dad and Aunt Eleanor, but it's not a story for you to hear until you are older," Brittany sighed. "I know that you're mad at him now, but I don't want you to grow up hating your father. I am at just as much fault for the divorce as he is…if not more."

"All he does is hurt you," AJ felt tears well up in his amber eyes. "I hope you're happier with Jehven."

"AJ, did I ever tell you about how your father got the notch in his ear?"

"Let me guess. Motorcycle accident?"

"Nope. It happened long before he even knew what a motorcycle was," Brittany began. The phone rang, preventing her from telling the rest of the story. She promised her son, "I'll be right back." She went into the kitchen to answer the phone. "Hello?"

"Did you tell him the story about how I got—?" Eleanor's voice asked, but she got cut off.

"No! I can't tell that story to a nine-year-old!" Brittany snapped.

"Who are you to snap at me? I'm the hormonal pregnant one! I should be snapping!" Eleanor countered. "Keep your tail on! Geez!"

"I'm sorry. He's just stressed about last week. And basically the last six months in general. That was the worst summer vacation of his life. And of mine. I'll never look at summer the same way again," Brittany sighed and clutched her bangs with one paw. "I'm having trouble getting through to AJ. Doesn't Theodore have any great things about Alvin to tell him?"

"Aside from the notch story?"

"Including the notch story."

"Lots of things. I do, too, actually."

"You tried to kill him at the divorce. And you tried to kill him at Charlene's apartment."

"Well, for starters, hormones make you do some…crazy things. But look, I've talked to him on the phone…after Theo got a new one. Al isn't quite sure what he wants. He knows you won't forgive him. At least not now."

"He's just enjoying his pretty little lady, and that is fine by me. I have a new man, and he treats me like I'm not damaged goods. The next time you talk to Alvin, tell him I'd send him my love, but another man beat him to it," Brittany instructed.

"But Britt—"

Brittany hung up and sighed. "I ought to…"

"You were talking about him, weren't you?" AJ asked when his mother came out of the kitchen. "You were talking about Dad?"

"AJ…" Brittany sighed. "Let's go for a ride." She and AJ went into the garage. AJ strapped a helmet over his head. Brittany also put on a helmet and a leather jack with a pink "B" embroidered in cursive. They got onto a motorcycle, but it was not any ordinary motorcycle. It was Alvin's old motorcycle. It held a lot of sentimental value to everyone in the Seville family, some more than others. Alvin had rescued the Chipettes on it. It had its purpose in that story about Alvin and Eleanor that Brittany forbade herself from mentioning in detail in front of AJ. There was one time when Alvin had a really bad crash on the motorcycle and Brittany feared for his life.

"Mom?" AJ tugged on his mother's sleeve. "What was Dad like when you were younger?"

"He was a hunk," Brittany smirked and answered. "I'll never forget the first time he…ah, never mind."

"First time he what?" AJ wanted the answer.

"Well, we were a couple of crazy teenagers back then. He was a ladies' munk," Brittany continued. She pulled over and they both got off the bike. They were at the park. It was peaceful. Not too many people were around. And best of all, no paparazzi to hound Brittany with questions and scare AJ out of his mind…again. She remembered when she was released from the hospital after the divorce.

_Flashback…_

"_Brittany, you really shouldn't be putting any weight on that foot," Jeanette advised, but Brittany ignored her as she limped out._

"_I'll be fine," Brittany assured. Her tail dragged along the ground as she limped. The ground was where her heart would be if not for her chest. Reporters and photographers swarmed the reduced family in the blink of an eye._

"_Brittany, who was that other chipmunk?" a reporter interrogated._

"_How long has this divorce been going on?" another questioned._

"_Is it real, or just for publicity?" another one asked._

"_Can I interview you?" one reporter begged._

"_Can I interview your son?" another one saw AJ and asked. "He is so cute!"_

"_Mom, w-what's going on?" AJ asked and clung to his mother. He was upset already. Now he was frightened. The eight-and-a-half-year-old was on the verge of an all-out nervous breakdown. Tears hung in his Alvin-amber eyes._

"_Hush!" Brittany shouted over the paparazzi. They all fell silent. The camera flashes ceased. She said to them, "Listen, you jerks really have no lives if you want to exploit mine so badly that you had to come to the hospital and interrogate me like I'm an auburn-furred criminal. I'm sore, I'm tired, my baby's more upset than he's ever been in his life, and I really don't want to even think about you right now. Now, get out of my way and let me go home or it'll get really ugly." She was serious. The paparazzi crowd parted and let them through._

"_I'll drive you," Jeanette offered._

"_Thanks, Jen," Brittany thanked her sister and limped to the chipmunk sized car._

_End of flashback…_

Brittany heard a cawing sound and looked up. A hawk was circling overhead. Her eyes widened and her pupils shrunk. She gave her son a grave look, and then looked back up to see the hawk swooping down towards them. She turned back to AJ and said, "Run."

"What?" AJ asked.

"Run!" Brittany repeated. She and AJ started a mad dash. The hawk flew too quickly. It grabbed AJ's hood and the collar of Brittany's jacket with its talons and carried them high up to a tall building. It dropped them on a ledge with a hungry look in its eyes. It gazed at AJ. Little AJ must have looked ripe and tasty to the eyes of a predatory bird. The hawk tried to peck at AJ, but Brittany reacted faster. She held AJ in a tight hug, shielding him from the attack. The hard beak bashed into her back, but she was not going to let any amount of pain keep her from protecting her child.

"M-Mom!" AJ cried. The hawk kept pecking at his mother. With each peck, Brittany let out a pained grunt.

"AJ…" Brittany gasped as the beak hit her again. It had cut through her jacket. Her cell phone fell out of her pocket. "Call for help…OW!"

"Mom!" AJ screamed, but obeyed his mother. He grabbed her phone and went into her contacts. He hit a name and called the number.

"Hello?" his bespectacled uncle's voice answered.

"Uncle Simon! Uh, Uncle Simon, we're having a really big emergency right now! Please help! W-we're on a building by the park!" AJ pleaded.

"Wait, wait, AJ, slow down! What is going on there?" Simon asked. Brittany cried out in pain again. Simon asked frantically, "Is that your mother?!"

"Yes! Please hurry!" AJ panicked. He set the phone down and dragged his mother away from the bird. "Leave my mom alone, you big bully!"

"AJ…" Brittany managed to speak. AJ threw a small rock at the bird. That only angered it. He kept throwing every pebble he could find. When he ran out of pebbles, he started throwing other things. The hawk had gained a cut on its head from a soda tab. That was about the most damage AJ caused.

Meanwhile, Simon drove up to the curb right behind Brittany's motorcycle. He had instructed Jeanette, Jake, and Sadie to stay home and stay out of trouble. He looked around at the tall buildings, trying to find his nephew and sister-in-law. He did see a hawk on a ledge flapping its wings frantically. It looked like it was trying to get something. He squinted and saw that it was AJ and Brittany that the hawk was after. "Oh, no…"

Before Simon could do anything else, he heard a gunshot. The bird flew away. He was barely able to see that Brittany and AJ were unharmed. With a sigh of relief, he tied the motorcycle to the back of his car with a metal cable. A half hour later, AJ and Brittany were in the backseat of Simon's car. AJ was holding his mother's fluffy tail, cuddling with it. He even kissed it at one point. Brittany tiredly said to Simon, "Thanks for the save, Si."

"Actually, I can only take credit for taking you guys home. I don't know where that gunshot came from," Simon confessed.

"Really?" Brittany looked shocked. Simon looked at her in the rear view mirror and nodded.

Brittany's phone vibrated in the pocket of AJ's hoodie. He took it out and gave it to her. She looked at the screen and saw that it was Jehven. She answered and asked, "How's my favorite English munk?"

"I heard about your little eagle attack," Jehven said to her.

"It was a hawk," Brittany corrected him.

"Are you and AJ okay?"

"Yeah. We're fine. Me and my brave little soldier are a-okay," Brittany reported and shot a smile at AJ. He glanced up at her and smiled back.

"That's good. Anyways, your father-figure, Dave, called us all over to his house for something special."

"Something special? What?"

"It's a surprise."

"A surprise?"

Simon smiled when he heard Brittany repeat what her boyfriend said. AJ tilted his head quizzically. He asked, "Uncle Simon, do you know something about this?"

"AJ, I know many things, or so I have been told," Simon replied vaguely. "You, little nephew, are just going to have to wait. I think this will put a good ending to a bad week."

"It can get better?" AJ asked. He had been depressed since his father showed up at his mother's performance. What could turn it around?

Simon pulled into Dave's driveway to find other chipmunk sized vehicles parked there. He smirked again and the three of them went inside. The lights were out. AJ looked confused, but Brittany's ice blue eyes lit up. Then, the lights lit up. "SURPRISE!" Dave, Claire, Jeanette, Theodore, Eleanor, Lucy, Jake, Sadie, Dominic, and Jehven all jumped out and shouted. Above them was a banner with red letters saying 'Happy Belated Birthday, AJ'. AJ's lips curved to form a smile.

"You guys did this for me?" he asked them. He could not stop smiling.

"You needed a do-over, kiddo," Jeanette told him.

"One that fits the convenience of the whole family," Eleanor added.

"Aunt Eleanor and I made you an even better cake than the one you had on your birthday," Theodore kneeled down and said to AJ.

"It's true. I've had both kinds before. This one, in a widely held opinion, is superior," Eleanor added.

"Thank you," AJ's voice cracked. He looked around. "He's not here…"

"Hug for our cousin!" Lucy and Dominic gave AJ a big hug.

Sadie joined in. She looked back at her brother and said, "Oh, get over here, you! I will drag you by your tail if I have to." Jake smiled and eventually joined in on the hug of cousins.

"He's so much like you, Simon," Theodore chuckled. "And Sadie looks just like a young Jeanette, only Sadie's more outgoing."

"I think she gets that from her aunt," Jeanette said and shot a smile at Brittany.

"To a lesser extent, I hope," Brittany sighed.

"Don't tell AJ that Alvin made the candle," Eleanor whispered into Brittany's ear.

"He did?" Brittany asked.

"It was a while ago. Hey, I want you and AJ to come by my place tomorrow."

"Why?"

"You'll see."

Everyone had cake and celebrated. Jeanette and Claire took pictures when Jake and AJ got cake on their faces. All Brittany could do was wonder about her sister's mysterious invitation.


	2. Intervention

**Chapter 2: Intervention **

The following day, at around four o'clock in the afternoon, Brittany and AJ rode the motorcycle to Eleanor's house. Brittany knocked on the door, and Eleanor opened it. She greeted her sister and nephew, "Come in, come in! We have someone else special here."

Brittany and AJ walked into Eleanor's living room to find Alvin Seville sitting in a chair. Brittany gasped, "Alvin?!"

"Brittany?!" Alvin gasped upon sight of her. "Elle, what kind of crud are you pulling?!"

"No crud, just a little get-together," Eleanor smiled deviously.

"C'mon, AJ. We're leaving," Brittany took AJ's paw, but Eleanor closed the front door and guided them over to the couch. Brittany, once on the couch, demanded, "What is he doing here?! I just—he's a—ARGH!"

"Nice to see you, too," Alvin said sarcastically.

"Stop it! Can't you two go one night without fighting?!" Eleanor snapped at them.

"That's kind of why we got divorced in the first place," Alvin reminded her.

"For the first time in a while, I agree," Brittany sighed bitterly.

"If you two are going to go at it like this in front of AJ, then I am appalled at both of you!" Eleanor told them and pointed to AJ, who looked like he was on the verge of tears.

"Oh, AJ…" Brittany sympathetically hugged her son.

Alvin took his son's paw and held it gently. With teary hazel eyes, the younger Alvin Seville gazed at the older one. AJ then got out of his mother's arms and into his father's. The little chipmunk bawled, "Dad, why? Why did you leave?"

"I don't know kiddo. I don't know what came over me. I'm so sorry," Alvin whispered into AJ's ear. "I love you, AJ."

"Why did you and Mom always fight?" AJ asked tearfully.

"Well—come to think of it, I don't remember. It just got so frequent and we both couldn't take it anymore. We thought you couldn't either. AJ, you have a couple of stupid parents," Alvin answered.

"You're not stupid. Neither of you are," AJ objected.

"Oh, you're a good kid," Alvin hugged AJ tighter. "I've got something for you." He placed his son on the couch, and Brittany went over to the chair where Alvin was sitting. She breathed in the scent of her ex-husband and gazed at him with teary ice blue eyes. Alvin reached behind the couch, grabbed something, and gave it to AJ.

"No present?" AJ asked.

"I'm working on it," Alvin promised. AJ found writing on the back of the card.

"'I'm sorry that I turned a celebration into a mess. I'm sorry you saw what you did. I'm sorry you got caught up in all of this. Happy ninth birthday, AJ. Love, Dad'," AJ read aloud. He hugged his father again. "Thanks, Dad!"

"Now open it," Alvin instructed. AJ did as told and the card emitted the singing voice of none other than Alvin singing 'happy birthday'.

"Alvin," Brittany suddenly spoke.

"What?" Alvin asked curiously.

"Yesterday, AJ and I were attacked by a bird. Then, a gunshot scared it off. It was yours, wasn't it?" Brittany looked him in the eye and questioned.

"Yes," Alvin nodded.

"Whoa, whoa, that means you saved them!" Eleanor cut in and exclaimed to Alvin. She turned to her sister and said, "See? I told you he was still a good guy!"

"I know. I always knew. That's why this whole divorce is my fault," Brittany sighed and smiled sadly. "What can I say? I'm damaged goods." Tears started to streak her auburn furred face.

"What? No, no," Alvin got next to Brittany, kneeled down on one knee, and took both of her paws in his own paws. "Brittany, you are _not_ damaged goods."

"I am."

"Stop saying that! No, you're not!" Alvin insisted. "If anything, I am! I'm the one who ran off with the psycho!"

"Well, she was pretty attractive," Eleanor pointed out.

Ignoring her, Brittany said, "I thought that you wanted this because of what I did to AJ."

"To be honest, I wasn't sure what I wanted. We were always so angry at each other. I just wasn't sure how else to stop it," Alvin responded. He held her paws gently and passionately. "I messed up, Britt. This is a bigger screw-up than all of my other screw-ups combined." Brittany saw tears in her ex-husband's eyes. This surprised her. Alvin was…crying? He continued, his voice breaking every now and again, "The whole family…I messed everything up. I'm so stupid for letting this happen. I messed things up for you, for AJ, for everyone…and nothing I can do will make it right. I really have lost it all."

"You have Charlene," Brittany reminded him.

"It's just not the same," Alvin shook his head. He gently stroked his ex-wife's black eye. "I'm so sorry."

"Alvin…" Brittany sighed.

"Britt, you gave me strength. You gave me courage. You are the reason I'm here today. You're the reason I'm a father, and I'm the reason I'm no longer a husband…"

"Alvin, no. This whole thing was my fault! I'm the one who suggested divorce! Was I…was I really your source of strength?"

"Eventually, you were my everything."

"Alvin…"

Alvin scooped Brittany up into his arms and plopped onto the couch. They cuddled in their tears for several minutes. AJ eventually asked them, "Are you guys getting back together?"

"AJ…" both parental chipmunks looked at their son's huge, begging amber eyes.

"Please?" AJ begged and made a cute face.

"Maybe someday, Junior," Alvin winked.

"Baby, your father has a girlfriend right now, and I can't do that to Jehven," Brittany explained.

"Who?" Alvin inquired.

"My…boyfriend," Brittany admitted.

"He'd better treat you right. You know, like I should have," Alvin said to her.

"He treats me like a goddess," Brittany reported. "He's great. He's great with AJ. He's great with the family. You know, if things weren't so…you know, between us, I think you two would be good friends."

"I miss you!" AJ hugged Alvin and cried.

"AJ, is this Jehven good to you?" Alvin asked, and AJ nodded. Alvin smiled and said, "Good. I guess you're not missing much."

"But he isn't my dad," AJ sniffled.

"Oh, Alvin, I, um…" Brittany spoke softly and sheepishly.

"Yes, Britt?" Alvin looked to his ex-wife.

"Do you want the motorcycle back?" Brittany asked sheepishly. "You can have it if you want it."

"It's fine. Is she a good bike to you?"

"Yeah," Brittany admitted.

"Good. Hey, listen; I'm having a concert next month. Do you want to come?" Alvin invited.

"I'll think about it," Brittany smiled slyly and answered.

"When will I see you again?" AJ asked his father.

"Soon, I hope," Alvin smiled and lifted AJ onto a shoulder.

"Whee!" AJ giggled as he was hoisted up.

"Sometimes, I miss those days," Eleanor said to herself.

"Honey, I'm back from the restaurant," Theodore sang in his chef uniform as he walked in. He saw his brother, sister-in-law, and nephew in the living room and asked his wife, "What's going on?"

"Well," Eleanor began, "I decided enough was enough and I got them all together for a little time together." Then, she whispered into her husband's ear, "I think this divorce never should have happened."

"I agree," Theodore nodded and went upstairs to change.

"Daddy!" his children, Lucy and Dominic, tackled him with a hug.

"There you are, you little munchkins!" Theodore laughed playfully and returned the hug. "How was your day?"

"Kind of boring," Lucy shrugged.

"Mommy sent us up here when Uncle Alvin showed up," Dominic elaborated on his big sister's response.

"But he was still fun Uncle Alvin. He gave us each a hug. He was going to tell us about how he taught Mommy to ride a motorcycle," Lucy added. "But then Mommy sent us upstairs."

"Are Uncle Alvin and Aunt Brittany going to get married again?" Dominic asked.

"I wish I knew," Theodore sighed.

"How was work?" Lucy asked her father.

"It was good. You know, ever since high school, I have loved making food as much as I loved eating it," Theodore smiled. "Maybe I'll teach you one day."

"Yay!" Lucy cheered.

"C'mon. I'll bring you downstairs. You know, so you can say hello. Maybe you can play with your cousin," Theodore winked at his kids. He hoisted Dominic into his arms. "Boy, you're heavy!"

"Daddy has to join a gym," Lucy giggled behind her father. The three of them went downstairs and caught the end of a sad, yet true story.

"And that was how I learned the hard way that, as troublesome as your dad was when we were teens, he would never cheat. Well, on a girlfriend, at least," Brittany explained to AJ.

"You crashed your bike?" AJ looked at his father in shock.

"Yeah. Your mom stayed with me the entire time I was in the hospital. And Aunt Eleanor and Uncle Simon fixed up my bike," Alvin nodded and explained.

"It was just the thing to do. That wasn't the only crash your dad had. It was the more dramatic one," Eleanor shrugged.

"You know, this whole thing is ironic. We promised never to break up again, and now we're divorced," Brittany realized. She burst into tears and hugged her ex-husband. "Alvin!"

"Don't cry, Aunt Brittany," Brittany felt little arms hug her. She looked down to see her nephew hugging her.

"Dominic…you're sweet," Brittany bent down and kissed Dominic's forehead. She ruffled the fur on his head and gave him a hug. He giggled as she did this.

"And your brothers pulled you into Uncle Simon's car and tried to talk some sense into you?" AJ relayed what he had been told.

"Yeah. That, um, well…" Alvin nodded, trying to figure out what to say next.

"He bopped Uncle Simon in the nose, just like he did six months ago," Theodore told AJ.

"Yes, thank you," Alvin nodded in confirmation. "When your mother and I broke up, I wasn't myself. It just shows how much…I need her."

"I'm confused. Are you two remarrying or not?" AJ asked.

"It's complicated," Alvin sighed.

"We're so sorry you're in the middle of this, AJ," Brittany sniffled and hugged AJ. She wrapped her tail around him. "You're such a good kid. You don't deserve this."

"So, about that concert," Eleanor turned to Alvin, "was that an open invite, or was it just for Brittany?"

"Open," Alvin chuckled. "I'd love for her and AJ to go, and everyone else is welcome. I mean, let's face it; I would be nothing without my brothers."

"I just don't feel like we're the Chipmunks if one of us is missing," Theodore added. "I'd be nothing without you and Simon, Alvin. You guys and Dave practically raised me."

"Well, you did fall out of a tree at birth," Alvin reminded him.

"Please tell us about the other crash," Lucy requested suddenly.

"Lucy!" Eleanor scolded.

"I said 'please'!" Lucy said defensively.

"It's alright. It's kind of simple, really. There was something in the road. My bike skidded. I crashed. I broke my arm. Your mom fixed up my bike and would sometimes ask me if she could ride it. I decided that if she was that good to my motorcycle, she should get one for herself. So, I got her a nice lime green motorcycle. It was just like mine, but newer and green. I'll never forget the look on her face when I pulled off the tarp," Alvin explained.

"Yeah," Eleanor agreed, "that was a good day."

"I'll never forget that one Christmas," Theodore remembered.

"Neither will Simon," Brittany added.

"Huh?" AJ, Lucy, and Dominic looked confused.

"It's a long story," Alvin simply said in the place of a real explanation. "I really shouldn't tell that story without asking Uncle Simon. And I think he just wants to forget the embarrassment and the pitiful looks he would get. Although, a lot of girls talked to him after it happened."

"I also called Connor and Veronica over here," Eleanor reported. Connor was a white chinchilla, an old friend of Alvin's, and the older brother of a good friend of Jeanette. Veronica was an old friend of Brittany's, and she dated Connor in high school, and then married him.

There was a knock at the door. Eleanor opened the door to find the gray and the white chinchilla stand before her. With them was their gray chinchilla son, Tyson, who was the same age as AJ. Tyson greeted, "Hi, AJ!"

"Tyson!" AJ scrambled over to Tyson and they fist-bumped.

"You guys, we're glad that you two are doing this," Veronica said to Brittany and Alvin. "Eleanor told us about it over the phone and I thought it was crazy, but at the same time, I thought it was worth a try."

"Yeah. We're very sorry about the divorce," Connor gave them his condolences.

"Well, I know what I did was inexcusable, but I asked Brittany to a concert I'm having next month," Alvin reported.

"Would Charlene be there?" Brittany decided to ask.

"Maybe. Probably. Geez, she can be a bit clingy sometimes," Alvin realized. "But I like her. Again, I guess I don't know what I want, but…I do want to keep in touch with my family."

"You know what. I'll go if AJ goes," Brittany decided.

"Yes! I want to go!" AJ bounced up and down.

"Great!" Alvin could not help a huge smile. He had a special surprise planned for them at the concert.


	3. The Stories

**Here's the third chapter.**

**AJ: Enjoy!**

**Chapter 3: The Stories**

The next morning, Alvin and Charlene were lying awake in bed. Alvin decided to tell his girlfriend. "Hey, Char, I invited my ex-wife to the concert."

"What?!" Charlene was beyond wide awake after hearing that. "Why?!"

"I don't want there to be hard feelings between her and I, or between my son and I," Alvin answered. "I can't live with myself after what I did to AJ. I just can't."

"…Fine," Charlene grumbled. "As long as you're not falling back in love with her."

_Maybe I am falling for Brittany again_, Alvin thought. He would never forget that fateful encounter in the halls of West Eastman High School. Those ice blue eyes and that auburn fur were on his mind ever since. "I think about her sometimes. The memories. The memories of the good times. Sometimes I wonder where those good times went."

"You're not saying you miss her, are you?"

"What? No!"

"That's what it sounds like to me."

"Charlene, I—look, I just wonder why we fell out of love sometimes, okay? Is that alright with you?"

"Listen to me, Seville," Charlene suddenly had a knife in paw and pointed it at Alvin's nose, "You break my heart, I break you."

"Okay, okay! I got it! Just put that knife away!" Alvin panicked. Charlene discarded the knife and started to cuddle with Alvin.

"Tell me about the good times," Charlene requested. "How did you meet her?"

"When I was starting out in high school, I met her. Dr. Rubin had just asked my brothers and I to help raise money for the school's music program. We were supposed to compete in a music contest. I said 'Don't worry, guys. Who's going to beat singing chipmunks?' And there they were. The Chipettes. Brittany and I locked eyes. We were so taken with each other. Then, we all had to get to class, so they started to walk away. Simon purred when he saw Jeanette!" Alvin informed Charlene of his first encounter with the Chipettes.

Charlene let out an amused chuckle and asked, "So, did you get to compete?"

"Well, you see, it was either us or the Chipettes. And I had a football game. I kind of left my brothers in the dust. But the Chipettes were kidnapped, so we saved them and all six of us got to perform. Brittany and I started dating shortly afterwards. She was a cheerleader. Her sisters were cheerleaders at one time. After the first time, Jeanette said it wasn't for her. Eleanor was kind of in and out with it, I guess," Alvin explained. "And then Jeanette and Brittany were having a bit of tension the following year. Simon stepped in and then…well, Si and Jen became what would be the cutest couple in West Eastman."

"What about Theodore and Eleanor?"

"Well, Eleanor kept dropping these hints. Theodore never really got them, and he was a bit scared to ask Eleanor out anyways. So she ran away for a few weeks. She lived in the woods. She met a chipmunk. They dated. They kissed. Theodore walked in on that kiss and was never the same. He hit me on the Chipettes' birthday. Then, one night, there was a really, really bad storm. A bolt of lightning struck. The thunder boomed. Theo went charging out into the pouring rain."

"By himself?"

"Yep. We followed him all the way to the woods."

"Wait, if you followed him, how was he alone?"

"We never caught up to him until he stopped in front of a burning tree. He had found Eleanor and a few other chipmunks. The other chipmunks…well, Dave's aunt adopted them. Theo and Ellie started dating."

"You sure have a lot of stories," Charlene commented.

"Yeah. It's been an eventful life," Alvin agreed. "But it's not over."

"Can you please tell me about AJ?"

"What do you want to hear?"

"How he was born. When you gave him your favorite hoodie. Things like that."

"Well," Alvin began, "Brittany first told me she was pregnant at her sister's wedding."

_Flashback…_

_It was Jeanette's wedding day. The ceremony had just ended, and Jeanette was a newly married Chipette. She had finally married the Chipmunk of her dreams, Simon Seville. Jeanette was giggling giddily with Cheyenne and Carrie. Brittany interrupted them and asked, "Where's Alvin? I need to talk to him!"_

"_Um, I'm not sure. Maybe he's with Simon," Jeanette informed her sister. Brittany let out a nervous groan as she left Jeanette, Cheyenne, and Carrie talking about the wedding that just happened and Carrie's upcoming wedding, which would occur a few weeks afterwards._

"_Alvin? Alvin! Alvin?" Brittany went around, calling out her husband's name. He had finally come into view, as he was the only one there wearing a red tuxedo. "Alvin, thank goodness I found you!"_

"_Whoa, where's the fire, Brittany?" Alvin chuckled playfully._

"_In my 'oven', dimwit!" Brittany snapped. "Just listen! I have exciting news! Well, it's exciting for me. I don't know how you'll take it. Please don't hate me! I don't know if you want—"_

"_Get to the point. I want to make the first toast before Fred does," Alvin interrupted his wife's rambling._

"_I'm pregnant," Brittany told him. He was silent. She was worried. Then, he smiled. She gasped, "Al?"_

"_I'm so happy!" he kissed her on the lips. Then, when he broke away, he said, "But today is Si and Jean's day. We'll tell everyone in a day or two."_

"_Right," Brittany nodded._

_End of flashback…_

"Wow," Charlene nodded slowly, taking the story in. "And he was born in the back of a cab?"

"Yeah…" Alvin simply said.

_Flashback…_

"_ALVIN! ALVIN, HURRY! MY WATER BROKE! ALVIN!" Brittany was screaming in panic._

"_Calm down! Just relax! We'll have you there in a jiffy!" Alvin promised. "I swear the whole block can hear you." He got her in the car, and then he himself got in. he tried to start it, but the engine stalled and died. "Great…"_

"_Alvin, pain, baby, womb, stretching, birth, hospital!" Brittany panted._

"_Thank you for using only key words," Alvin jokingly thanked her. He called for a cab. Eventually, a taxi came to their house and Alvin loaded his wife into the taxi. Brittany was hyperventilating beside him._

"_Is she okay?" the cab driver asked Alvin._

"_She's just in labor. Hospital, please?"_

"_Right away."_

_Then, they got stuck in traffic. The driver honked the horn and shouted out the window, "C'mon! I got a lady in labor in here!"_

"_Alvin, check me," Brittany whimpered. Alvin tilted his head. She repeated, "CHECK ME!"_

_Alvin checked Brittany to see how far into labor she was. He reported, "I think he winked at me." Brittany whimpered loudly. Alvin asked, "Can't you hold it in?"_

"_This isn't the bathroom! Oh, man! Here he comes!" Brittany strained. "Alvin, I'm sorry! He needs to come out now!"_

"_I'm delivering my own baby," Alvin grumbled to himself. "Okay. No pressure." The result was messy, but Alvin safely delivered his own son. "He's beautiful."_

"_I want to name him after you. Alvin Seville Junior," Brittany smiled._

"_I like the sound of that!" Alvin smirked, and Alvin Jr. cooed happily. "It looks like he does, too. We'll call him AJ for short."_

"_AJ…" Brittany smiled._

_End of flashback…_

"Wow," Charlene said again. "Not every man can say 'I delivered my own kid'."

"Nope," Alvin agreed.

Meanwhile, Brittany had just sent AJ off to school, and she thought of the day he was born. She smiled, and there were tears in her eyes. She plopped onto the couch, and Jehven sat down beside her. He asked, "Something wrong?"

"Nah. Just…well, Alvin invited me to a concert he's having next month. Jehven, I think about the good times he and I had all of the time. He's…" Brittany trailed off. "He was so sweet yesterday. It was almost like we never got divorced."

"Well, even so, he let a fine catch get away," Jehven claimed and kissed Brittany on the lips.

"I'm going to that concert."

"Well, part of me wants to object, but another part of me thinks it will be good for you."

"I'm glad you think so. Have you ever considered anything like…marriage?"

"Brittany, I don't think either of us is ready."

"Just asking."

"Brittany," Jehven sighed, "I really like and respect you, but Alvin and the divorce are always on your mind. I think you need to not rush these things."

"But—I guess you're right…" Brittany sighed. "It's just…he has a girlfriend. They've been in bed. They live together. I just feel…I don't know, abandoned? Stressed? Upset?"

"Brittany, I did say I'd help you through it all," Jehven reminded her, "or at least as much of it as I can."

"You're so good to me," Brittany kissed him.


	4. AJ the Ladies' Munk

**Here's chapter 4! Enjoy it!**

**Chapter 4: AJ the Ladies' Munk**

AJ and Jake were sitting at a table in their classroom. Jake was having an easy time with long division. AJ, not so much. AJ groaned, "Jake, help me!"

"I showed you how to do it three times already," Jake pointed out.

"Oh…" AJ put his head down. He saw the shadow of an endearing figure. He looked up and saw that it was Victoria, the squirrel he had a massive crush on. "Oh, h-hey, Victoria."

"Need help?" Victoria offered.

"Uh…no," AJ shook his head.

"Really?" Victoria did not buy it.

"…I lied. I'm sorry," AJ apologized. "I tried to act smart."

"'Act'? AJ, you are very smart. You just need to get that brain of yours going. Here, let me show you," Victoria showed him how to do long division. "Now you try!"

"I showed him three times," Jake repeated.

"I did it!" AJ cheered triumphantly. "Thanks, Victoria!"

"You're welcome, AJ! Hey, is either of you guys cold?"

"No," AJ shook his head.

"I'm fine," Jake looked up at her.

"Really? I'm freezing!" Victoria shivered. AJ took off his favorite sweatshirt and pulled it over Victoria's head. It was even bigger on her than it was on him. "AJ?"

"Just thought it would keep you warm. Are you warm now?" AJ asked.

"Yeah. Thank you, AJ," Victoria thanked him shyly.

"You look nice today," AJ complimented her smoothly and sincerely.

"Thanks!" Victoria exclaimed. "Your hoodie is really warm!"

"Thanks. It was my dad's," AJ informed her.

"Oh. Right. I, uh…" Victoria was at a loss for words. The divorce tended to be a conversation stopper.

"Hey, you guys!" Tyson greeted them. He was followed by his shy, white furred cousin Crysta. Crysta was a cute chinchilla with periwinkle glasses. In fact, her middle name was Periwinkle after her mother's favorite flower and favorite color.

"H-hi, everyone," Crysta greeted shyly. Jake got up and smiled at the chinchilla. She smiled back at him and held her tail as her mother used to.

"I was just showing AJ how to do long division," Victoria told them.

"Why didn't Jake show him?" Tyson asked.

"I did! Three times!" Jake defended.

"Alright, alright. No need to get your glasses in a bunch," Tyson muttered.

When it was time for recess, Victoria gave AJ his sweatshirt back and all of the children ran outside. Jake and Crysta were looking at a field of flowers, examining each petal. They were good friends. Perhaps nothing more. Crysta gasped with delight when she found a periwinkle. In a notebook, she carefully and precisely drew a sketch of it. It was a very good sketch, very well detailed.

Victoria was running with the wind when she suddenly tripped over a rock and was going down. Luckily, someone caught her. It was AJ. He asked, "Are you alright, Victoria?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm okay. Thanks, AJ," Victoria blushed. Feigning innocence, she wrapped her tail around him.

"Huh?" AJ gasped as the beautiful, fluffy appendage coiled itself around him. He looked at Victoria, and then at the tail, blushing. He placed a paw on it. "Your tail is so soft…way softer than mine."

"Oh? Well, can I feel your tail?" Victoria requested. AJ lifted his sweatshirt slightly, and his fluffy tail swung out. Victoria gently grasped it. "Your tail is super-soft, too! It's actually kind of a shame it's always covered up by this sweatshirt."

"That won't be an issue in a couple of years," AJ winked at her.

Later that day, AJ went home and told his mom how he had such a good day. "I think I'm warming up to Victoria! She'll be my girl in no time!"

"That's great, baby," Brittany chuckled and hugged her son.

"Hey, does Dad want us to wear anything, you know, formal?" AJ asked.

"You mean to the concert? Well, I think he would really appreciate it if you wore that hoodie you almost never take off," Brittany responded.

"Are we going to get to talk to him?"

"Maybe."

"Oh, I can hardly wait!"

"I told you he was not a bad chipmunk," Brittany chuckled. "I just wonder why he would want me to go."

"Why not? I think he still loves you," AJ claimed.

"I doubt it, baby."

"No one else does."

"What do you mean?"

"Aunt Ellie and Uncle Theo think that he'll eventually propose to you again."

"Oh, do they?"

"So do I. I miss our family," AJ stated.

"Oh, AJ," Brittany hugged AJ. "The family isn't gone. It just…changed shape."

"I don't like this shape."

"I don't either, honey. I don't either."


	5. The Concert

**5th chapter with the special surprise song! I do not own the song used in this chapter. I think that's enough said. Enjoy!**

**Alvin: I hope Brittany enjoys it. I'm going to sing this one from the very bottom of my heart and my soul. And I won't blame her if she doens't want to take me back.**

**Brittany: We'll just have to wait and see, Alvin. We'll just have to wait and see.**

**AJ: What song is Dad singing, Ranger?**

**AJ, you're just going to have to find out.**

**AJ: Mm...okay. **

**Chapter 5: The Concert**

The month had gone by, with AJ getting more excited each and every day. It was a late Saturday afternoon. People were lined up at the stadium. The Seville family (plus Jehven) was able to get past the long lines with VIP passes sent to them by Alvin. The paparazzi reporters were tempted to swarm them, but they remembered what Brittany had said when they saw AJ. Feeling guilty about scaring him seven months ago, they decided to leave little AJ alone.

The family found their seats. Lucy exclaimed, "Ooh! Cushy!"

"Take me out to the ball game," Eleanor started singing.

"We're not at a baseball stadium," Theodore informed his wife.

"I don't care!" Eleanor screamed at her husband, and then tried to start the wave.

"I wonder what the surprise is," AJ said to Brittany. Then, Brittany remembered Alvin saying that there was a special surprise for them. She, too, wondered about it.

"Hello, everybody!" Alvin Seville came onto the stage, holding a microphone. The audience let out a roaring cheer. Alvin then said, "I want to start tonight off with a little song that touched my heart ever since seven months ago. A lot of you may have heard that my wife and I got a divorce. I feel kind of bad about it. I really messed things up with Brittany and with my son, AJ, and I've been feeling uncertain ever since. She's been saying these things about herself—really horrible things that just aren't true—and it is my fault."

"Oh, Alvin," Brittany whispered softly, practically inaudibly.

"So, Brittany," Alvin looked Brittany right in the eye, in spite of the fact that she was several rows up, "and AJ, this one is for you. 'Fall for You' by Secondhand Serenade.'" He stopped talking and started singing:

"The best thing about tonight's that we're not fighting  
Could it be that we have been this way before  
I know you don't think that I am trying  
I know you're wearing thin down to the core

But hold your breath  
Because tonight will be the night that I will fall for you  
Over again  
Don't make me change my mind  
Or I won't live to see another day  
I swear it's true  
Because a girl like you is impossible to find  
You're impossible to find

This is not what I intended  
I always swore to you I'd never fall apart  
You always thought that I was stronger  
I may have failed  
But I have loved you from the start  
Oh

But hold your breath  
Because tonight will be the night that I will fall for you  
Over again  
Don't make me change my mind  
Or I won't live to see another day  
I swear it's true  
Because a girl like you is impossible to find  
It's impossible

So breathe in so deep  
Breathe me in  
I'm yours to keep  
And hold onto your words  
'Cause talk is cheap  
And remember me tonight  
When you're asleep

Because tonight will be the night that I will fall for you  
Over again  
Don't make me change my mind  
Or I won't live to see another day  
I swear it's true  
Because a girl like you is impossible to find  
Tonight will be the night that I will fall for you  
Over again  
Don't make me change my mind  
Or I won't live to see another day  
I swear it's true  
Because a girl like you is impossible to find  
You're impossible to find"

When Alvin finished, tears streaked both his face and Brittany's. His face because he poured his heart out and knew that he wanted Brittany. Brittany's face because she knew that Alvin meant every word he sang. Jeanette looked over at her sister. "Brittany?"

"Aunt Brittany?" Sadie called.

"Do you want to go home?" Jehven asked Brittany. The auburn Chipette shook her head and gazed at her former Chipmunk husband.

"There's the Wilson in you!" Claire proudly said to Brittany.

"Wilson?" Jehven echoed.

"Oh, you see, Wilson is my maiden name. It was almost the Chipettes' last name, but Dave and I got married before that could happen so instead, we followed Dave's grandmother's rather strange will," Claire explained to the British chipmunk.

"I see," Jehven nodded.

"She sounded like a nut, that grandmother of Dave's," Eleanor commented.

"Ironic," Simon muttered.

"Mom, are you sure you're okay?" AJ hugged Brittany and asked. His mother nodded and gently stroked his head.

"You look so much like your father," Brittany tearfully told AJ. Then, she kissed his nose. "AJ…my little Alvin…"

"I'm pregnant," Eleanor told Jehven, putting a damper on a beautiful moment.

"So I am aware," Jehven nodded to Eleanor.

"It's his baby," Eleanor pointed to Theodore.

"I am aware of that, too."

After the concert, Brittany was trying to get backstage, but the security guards were giving her a hard time. She begged, "Please! I have to see him!"

"Miss, I cannot let you back here," the guard said firmly.

"Dude, it's okay. She's cool," Alvin approached and told the guard. He looked to his ex-wife and said, "Hey, Britt."

"Hey, Al," Brittany shot him a sad smile. "I guess that song was you trying to get me back, huh?"

"Well, that was my intention but…"

"But what?"

"Charlene kind of threatened me. She said, and I quote, 'Break my heart and I'll break you'," Alvin explained. "I'm stuck with her until either I'd rather die or until she breaks it off with me."

"That's too bad. I was going to tell you that your song worked," Brittany said to her ex-husband. "And if there is one thing Alvin Seville never cheats on, it's a girl. I learned that the hard way. I made the mistake of not trusting you."

"I'd break up with her, but I don't want AJ to be without a father. And I can't call the cops because I'm living in her apartment. That'd be considered 'biting the hand that feeds you'. I feel obligated to show her _some _gratitude. Brittany, I'm so sorry," Alvin apologized. "I feel awful. And I completely forgot that you had a boyfriend. I even gave him a VIP pass and I still forgot about him. I pulled on your heartstrings again…"

"Alvin, it is fine. I'm not going to let you get killed just because we're both regretting this divorce."

"Britt, keep your walls up. I don't trust me. I don't see why you should," Alvin cautioned. "I want to protect you."

"From what?" Brittany asked him.

"From Charlene. From me," Alvin explained.

"Do you really think that a girl like me is impossible to find? Or were those just words in the song?" Brittany asked.

"Both. Charlene warned me not to fall in love with you again. I couldn't help but fall anyways," Alvin sighed. "I miss you."

"I miss you, too. I remember when we were teenagers and you would take out your chipmunk sized guitar and you'd just play. You weren't even playing a specific song. You'd just play. I used to love that," Brittany reminisced. "And I remember when you finally told me the story about the notch in your ear. That's why you scared that hawk off, right? Because you didn't want what happened to you or worse to happen to us."

"Exactly. I'm lucky to have only lost a small part of an ear. It was only a sliver. I could live and always have lived without it, but it's a reminder to me. I don't forget how hard life in the wilderness was because of this notch. The six months before AJ's birthday…how were those for you?"

"They seemed to feel like adjustment. For the first month or so, AJ slept with me in our bed. Eventually, I got him back in his own room. Simon, Jeanette, and the whole family have been there for us. You know, I think Ellie did the right thing by calling us to her house. Do you really want me to not trust you the next time you try to take me back?" Brittany asked.

"At least act like it. I'm hoping my relationship is just going to last a couple more months, and then she'll be sick of me."

"Well, I like Jehven. I really do. His accent is adorable. But…it just doesn't feel the same without you."

"Take care, Britt," Alvin bid Brittany farewell.

"You, too, Al," Brittany bid Alvin farewell. The two former lovers hugged and parted ways. Brittany went back to the rest of the family and greeted, "Hey."

"What did you say to him?" Simon asked her.

"Oh, you know, stuff. We started talking about the past, reminiscing on good times and regretting bad times," Brittany reported.

"You're falling for him again, aren't you?" Jeanette asked her. Brittany remained silent. She wanted to say 'yes', but how could she do that in front of her boyfriend? She wasn't the monster she once thought she was. Was she?

"Brittany, if you are, then you can just tell us so. There is no point in lying to us or to yourself," Jehven encouraged.

"Are you some kind of mind reader?" Brittany asked him.

"No. I just have a strange gift for psychology," Jehven remarked.

"Ooh, you're so lucky I love that accent," Brittany snuggled up to Jehven. "Okay, my English psych muffin, read my mind."

"You're thinking about Alvin. You want him back. He wants you back. There is something separating each of you," Jehven guessed.

"Bingo," Brittany sighed.

"Is it me?"

"No. Well, sort of. I don't know. Jehven, you're a great guy. You're so patient, even when I'm a complete train wreck. I really, really, _really_ like you, but…"

"But I'm no Alvin."

"I still want you. I don't care who you are, because you're you. That's all that matters to me. Please don't leave me yet."

"I won't," Jehven promised.

"What's holding Alvin back?" Dave asked Brittany.

"Charlene, but in a different way," Brittany answered.

"An in-bed way?"

"No. A life-or-death way. Either he lives miserable until she's bored with him or he dies before he gets the chance to take me back," Brittany stated, remembering the threat Charlene gave Alvin.

"Miserable? He said she's great," Simon pointed out.

"Maybe she's just not worth it anymore," Jeanette hypothesized.

"Death to the patriarchy! Death to the anarchy! Death to the imperialists! Death to the puppet regime! Death to the communists! Death to the tyrannical despot! Death to death!" Eleanor started chanting.

"How many more forms of government can she chant the death for?" Claire asked Dave, who could only shrug.

"It sounds to me like the hormones are kicking in," Jeanette sighed. Eleanor pulled her tail "Ouch! What was that for?!"

"Eggs!" Eleanor screamed and her tongue hung out. Jeanette mumbled something and shook her head.


	6. As Days Go By

**Here's chapter 6. The last chapter. The end of this chapter leads up to chapter 12 of AJ's Story. **

**Chapter 6: As Days Go By**

Brittany and Jehven had achieved a unique turn in their relationship. Whenever AJ was at school, Jehven would act as Brittany's home therapist. One day, over a week after the concert, Jehven asked her, "Now, how did you and your ex-husband meet?"

"We met in high school. West Eastman High. Those were the days. Our eyes met for the first time in the hall. I was just so taken with that beautiful, fun-loving shade of hazel. Alvin was always my favorite Chipmunk to begin with, but there was something about that encounter that deepened my crush on him. Deepened it to love. Oh, and I think I heard Simon purr at Jeanette when we started to walk away. Eh. Go figure," Brittany explained and shrugged.

"Any other encounters?" Jehven questioned.

"The lunch line. You see, Ian Hawke had used propaganda on my sisters and I. he made us believe that the Chipmunks we had always admired were bad. I wasn't supposed to trust Alvin. Then, we, uh, had a little moment. And…"

"And the rest is history?"

"No. And I fell on the floor."

"Oh. When did you two start dating?"

"Shortly after that music competition. Do you want details?"

"Details are nice," Jehven nodded.

_Flashback…_

_Alvin approached Brittany at lunch and said, "Yo, Britt."_

"_Hi, Alvin," Brittany greeted._

"_Listen, the Chipmunks and the Chipettes make a pretty good team. But what if we turned six into two?" Alvin asked her suavely. _

"_Are you asking me out?"_

"_I'm asking you to have the time of your life. They don't call me the Love Doctor for nothing, sister," Alvin informed her. She giggled at him. "You giggled. My first victory of the day!"_

"_Alvin, you're cute. You're funny. You actually can be pretty sweet. You're a cool guy. Dating you would be more than awesome in my book," Brittany smiled at him._

_End of Flashback…_

"My, my, that must have been something," Jehven remarked.

"It felt like a dream come true," Brittany nodded. "We would have some of the best times. You know, ever since this whole divorce happened, the good times are all I can remember. Sure, we've had some bad times. He got us shipwrecked on an island and stuff, but we would always have fun." They talked for hours. They talked about Alvin for the most part, but Brittany eventually requested that Jehven told her what growing up in England was like. Then, AJ got home. Jehven had Brittany go take a nap while he helped AJ with homework.

"Jehven, what did you and my mom talk about while I was gone?" AJ asked.

"We mostly talked about your father," Jehven informed the young chipmunk.

"Thank you for helping Mom," AJ thanked Jehven.

"AJ, it's my pleasure," Jehven smiled at him. "Now what do we have here?"

Meanwhile, at Simon and Jeanette's house, Simon said to Jeanette, "That must have been pretty scary for Alvin. You know, having your girlfriend threaten you like that must be something terrifying. Like a tarantula." Simon shuddered at the thought of a tarantula.

"I actually feel kind of bad for him," Jeanette agreed. "He's stuck in a relationship that he doesn't want to be in anymore. Did you find Charlene attractive when you first saw her?"

"Jeanette, you know I prefer brunettes," Simon smiled at his wife.

"How true. What was I thinking?" Jeanette chuckled at her husband. They rubbed noses.

Meanwhile, at Theodore and Eleanor's house, Eleanor was brushing her stomach with her hairbrush. Theodore just got home from work. Lucy immediately said to her father, "She's grooming the babies."

"Don't worry, Luce, it's almost over," Theodore promised.

Over at Charlene's apartment, Alvin was strumming a chipmunk sized guitar. He wasn't playing any specific song. He was just playing. Like Brittany used to enjoy. He smiled as he thought of his ex-wife. He was still in love with Brittany. He couldn't let Charlene know that, or she would have his head. He just had to wait the unwanted relationship out. He prayed for some extra strength.

"Hey, Alvin," Charlene walked into her apartment. "I got cheese balls for you."

"Thanks, Char," Alvin said, continuing to play the tiny guitar.

"Are you writing a new song?"

"Nah. I'm just playing."

"It's nice. You know that music you're playing. It's relaxing."

"Thanks," Alvin smiled at his girlfriend. In some ways, she reminded him of Brittany. So beautiful and full of life and pep. Brittany. Brittany. She was always on Alvin's mind. She was Alvin Seville's sole purpose. And Alvin wanted her back. What was he to do? He was a hostage in his own relationship with all the windows of opportunity closed. Brittany.

"Something on your mind?" Charlene asked him.

"No," he lied.

"You sure? You seem kind of distant."

"I'm fine. I'm peachy. Really."

"Okay," Charlene let him alone. She went into the bedroom to plot against Eleanor. She was going to wait until Eleanor least expected her, and when she least expected her baby to come.

After a few weeks of home therapy, after Eleanor gave birth to her twins, Brittany made a point to kiss Jehven on the cheek every day and tell her how great she felt. He would always smile, happy to help. Then, there was one day, while Brittany was napping and AJ was playing a video game. The phone rang, and Jehven answered it, not wanting it to wake his girlfriend. Plus, he knew the number. It was from the UK. He answered, "Hello? Grandmother? Yes, grand mum, she's doing fine. Well, of course it's good. What? You need me back in the United Kingdom? What for? Oh, no. No, oh, say it isn't so. Oh, but what will I tell Brittany? Yes. I understand. I'll be there in a few days, a week tops. No, not like bikini tops! It's a figure of speech! Alright. Hold on until I get there." He hung up and then called Simon. "Hello, Simon. I've got some bad news. It seems that I'll be going back to England."

"Why?" Simon inquired.

"My grandmother is ill and I need to tend to her," Jehven stated. "But what will I tell Brittany?"

"Just tell her. She'll understand. I'm sure she will," Simon encouraged.

"Really?"

"I wouldn't bet money on it, but I think she's matured over the past few months and she's able to take a lot more than she used to."

"I hope you're right. Simon, you've been a dear friend in my stay in the United States."

"Oh. Well, thank you," Simon seemed flustered on the other end. "Jehven, you're a good friend, too. You've been excellent with my sister-in-law and my nephew. You've been very patient. And you have a multi-cultural influence. Among other things, you sure are an upright fellow. I'm going to miss you. Now's not the time for goodbyes, but I still want to wish you the best of luck in your home nation."

"Thank you, Simon. I'll have to leave in a few days. I just need to tell Brittany and AJ before it's too late. I need to give them time to take it all in. I can't leave so suddenly."

"Right. You need to tell them as soon as possible," Simon agreed.


End file.
